


An Ending and a Beginning

by gaensebluemchen



Category: Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 00:31:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaensebluemchen/pseuds/gaensebluemchen
Summary: My take on how Basta came to work for Mortola after Capricorn's defeat.





	An Ending and a Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> The usual - I don't own anything. 
> 
> Set after "Inkheart". Basically, I wanted to give Basta another motivation except for "a dog needs a master"

Basta ran as fast as he could. Away from the village, where his master – the man who had been the closest thing to a father that Basta ever knew – had died. No, not died. Where he had been murdered. Basta still could not believe it. Of all of Capricorn's enemies, it had to be Silvertongue, who looked as if he could not even harm a fly. You really should not judge a book by its cover...

  
Finally, Basta came to a halt, trying to catch his breath. He had reached the hills that surrounded the now deserted village; now, he could not run any further. Exhausted, he sank to his knees. It was over. Basta had escaped from the village. He had even escaped his own execution. Cockerell was gone now – at least something nice on this horrible day. But what good was that now anymore? Capricorn was dead. Basta had lost the most important man in his life. Yes, Capricorn had wanted to execute Basta tonight – but he had also saved Basta's life once, many years ago in the Wayless Wood. Capricorn had been Basta's life – and Basta allowed himself to grieve for this life. He buried his head in his hands and wept until he fell asleep.

  
Mortola found him lying in the grass the next morning. She must have followed him last night and caught up with him only now. Her voice sounded raspy and broken when she woke him up. Basta sat up and glared at her with narrowed eyes. It was her fault that Capricorn had thrown him into that dog cage. He would make her pay for that...

  
"What do you want?" Basta hissed.

  
"You have to help me!" Mortola said. Basta just stared at her. Help her? He should kill her. He might not have a knife right now, but he would not need one for breaking the old crone's neck. Basta stood up and closed in on her.

  
"Give me one reason why I should help you. Just one," he growled.

  
Mortola only looked at him, her eyes slowly filling up with tears. Then she said quietly, "We have to bury him. He's still lying there!"

  
She could not hold back her tears any longer and started crying again. Basta fought down the urge to roll his eyes at her, but he took a moment to think about Mortola's words. She was right. Basta could not just let the crows have Capricorn's body. He would not kill the Magpie, then. Not now, at least. Even though he would never admit it, Basta knew that he would not dare to set foot into the cursed village on his own.

  
"What about the others? Are they all... gone?" he asked.

  
The Magpie only nodded. Well then, to hell with the others. He never particularly cared about Cockerell or Flatnose anyways.

  
"Fine, I'll help you," Basta snarled and then they both walked back to the village.

  
They buried Capricorn in the garden, under the blooming oleander bushes. Afterall, it had to be a nice ceremony, albeit a simple one. Basta wished that they could have had a funeral that was more fitting for a man as great as Capricorn had been. Mortola and Basta stood at the fresh grave for a long while, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

 

Finally, Mortola broke the silence, "I'll kill them."

  
Basta only nodded. There had not been a trace of Silvertongue and his family when he and the Magpie had returned to the village, but Basta would not rest until he found them again. And then...

  
"I already have a plan."

  
The Magpie turned to look Basta in the eye. For a moment, he considered his options. The Magpie was not stupid. He could probably get his revenge much easier if he and Mortola worked together. Basta could still kill her afterwards.

  
"Go on," Basta said and smirked.


End file.
